Midweek Movie Free Talk

Does anybody want to talk about any of the following? It's been a rewatch-filled couple weeks as my local theater has been showing non-new movies a few times a week lately.

The Breakfast Club (1985): ★⯪☆

Career Opportunities (1991): ★⯪☆

Well crap, am I too old to enjoy "teenager shenanigans" movies anymore? 0 for 2 to start the list.

Titanic (1997): ★★☆ (rewatch)

Revenge of the Sith (2005): ★★☆ (rewatch)

Pride and Prejudice (2005): ★⯪☆ (rewatch)

Interstellar (2014): ★★★ (rewatch)

Dune Part 2 (2024): ★⯪☆ (rewatch)

I watched several movies this week, but I'll highlight three that caught my attention.
The first is Koko-di Koko-da (2019). Everything about this film feels unique, blending different storytelling styles seamlessly. It deals with grief and the cycle of pain caused by tragedy, exploring trauma, guilt, and the struggle to accept loss. These themes are portrayed in ways that are sometimes heavy, violent, and raw, other times surreal, with allegorical elements, symbolism, and even touches of childlike fable, like scenes acted out by puppets. This mix creates an uneasy tone, shifting between unsettling and sorrowful, resulting in a complex, melancholic film.
Another one I enjoyed was Mirror of Flesh (1984), a Brazilian film that mocks the country’s middle class and their life of appearances and hypocrisy, using the mirror as a metaphor for hidden reality. Secrets, intense and even bizarre desires are exposed, all with touches of fantasy, over-the-top humor, ironic dialogue, and solid performances.
To wrap up my recommendations, there’s Drop (2025). While the premise relies on clichés, they’re used effectively, making the film gripping. The pacing is fast, and the editing stands out with its creative use of on-screen text and lighting, creating a tense atmosphere that holds your attention from start to finish. Alongside the suspense, well-placed action scenes keep it entertaining.

Thunderbolts*

Loved this. Like genuinely loved it to the degree that I loved Guardians 3. We finally have an MCU film that looks and feels like an actual movie.

It’s a small scale story, relatively speaking, and heavy on character development. There’s no end of the world baddie here, there’s no big laser climax, it’s a story about the characters’ struggle with depression and loneliness.

The actors all have chemistry and they all have a charismatic presence.

It’s generally being regarded as the best MCU film in a while, but I’d go as far to say that it’s genuinely just a great film. And I think more people would agree with me if it wasn’t for its association with the franchise (liking MCU isn’t as in vogue as it used to be).

It’s my favorite movie of the year so far (topping both Sinners and Mickey 17).

I rewatched Blade Runner for the first time in more than 10 years. I am a big science fiction fan so this classic is hard to avoid and understandably many peoples favorite in the genre. I think the whole discourse around the movie, all the different versions, and especially the debate over whether Deckard is a replicant or not had pushed me away from the movie for many years. The whole question and explorations of humanity is what makes this film great, but the whole meta-thing around this probably ruined this for me in some capacity. I like the ambiguity of it, but the consensus have over the years gravitated towards the conclusion that Deckard is a replicant. And of course Ridley Scott has said that it was his intention to convey just that message. He is the director, so in that sense that is the "correct" answer, but I personally think has done the film a disservice by removing the ambiguity. While I prefer the ambiguity, my personal opinion is that the film becomes less interesting if Deckard is a replicant. I prefer that he is human, even though it is in the objective reading the wrong answer. Because if he is a replicant, then I think the film loses most of its meaning and humanistic message.

It was difficult to put all that negative baggage behind me, and just appreciate the film on its own merits. It is undeniably a very atmospheric beautiful made film. Stunning set design that gives a sensation that this world exists, and there is life beyond the frame as well. The theme of what makes humans human is an evergreen in the science fiction genre, and explored well here. Mostly through Batty's story.

This is far from my personal favorite science fiction film, but it is in the top 20.

I just got out of a Thunderbolts showing at BFI Waterloo in London on IMAX and the experience itself was so incredible. I've never seen such a big screen and it was quiet and no one brought out their phones. The movie itself has some good lighting moments with the main villain and all, and I think it popped really well on the screen honestly. I wish I was here a week earlier for Sinners but that's my fault I guess.

The movie itself was great too! I feel like I've been pretty meh on Marvel movies recently but I definitely feel like this one was fun and added a lot of potential to the universe itself. I like that it was a pretty big villain and the stakes felt relatively appropriate for the team itself. I liked the personal resolutions a lot and the post credit scene was great.

Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith (2005)

Got the chance to watch this movie in theaters for the 20th anniversary with my friends and I still really love it. It certainly still has some awkward/forced dialogue in places and most of the movie has become memed to death but I love the action and just watching Anakin become Darth Vader. Revenge of the Sith is one of my more favorite Star Wars films.

Midnight Runners (2017)

I've talked about this movie before but I watched it again and still really enjoyed it. Two of my most favorite South Korean actors, Park Seo-jun and Kang Ha-neul, play the lead characters in this film and I love the banter between them.

The movie follows two dudes who enroll in the Korean National Police Academy and become best friends. While out drinking one night, the two witness a woman being kidnapped and report it to the nearest police station. However, the station's Missing Persons Unit prioritizes a high-profile kidnapping of a chaebol's son instead. Knowing that they are in the critical hours after a kidnapping, they decide to try and save the woman themselves.

I really love this movie for the way it weaves in comedy with action. It's serious when it needs to be and sprinkles in comedy where you'd expect and where you wouldn't. The chemistry between the two leads is phenomenal and they do an amazing job portraying themselves as excitable 20-somethings. The movie brings light to the often overlooked abuse of women and the inequality of the police system in South Korea but it does so in a really nuanced way.